Combing machine



Aug. 28, 1934. a J. w NASMITH 1,971,461

" COMBING MACHINE Fild Sept. 24, 1932 [22 venlor." W 4 J /'/is /ll'forn a]? awn Patented Aug. 28, 1934 g 1.9713461 =G0MBING MACHINE John Willi'amNasmith},HeatonltIersey, V v p ManchestergEngland Application September 24, 1932', see] No. (34,717 In Great Britain December 4, 1931 3 Claims. (01. 19-116) The invention relates to combing machines of the Heilmann or Nasmith type for the combing of textile fibres, in which machines a combing cylinder is employed having rows of needles 5 which pass successively through a tuft of fibres as the latter is presented to the rotary path of the said needles by the machine nipper.

With some classes of fibre-and this, due to its nature, refers more especially to wool fibrethere is difficulty in getting the fibre tuft down to the roots of the needles of the combing cylinder to ensure efficient combing. This difficulty is indeed so pronounced in the combing of wool, in machines of the type above referred to, that special positive means have been resorted to, such as dabbing brushes or dab bing blades having timed movements to push the fibre tuft into the needles. Very accurate timing with the general movement of the combing ma- 20 chine and of the combingcylinder is necessary with such devices as will be understood, and it is the object of the present invention to provide means by which a fibre tuft will be automatically drawn to the roots of the combing cylinder needles without the necessity of added mechanism or of timed movements.

To this end and according to the invention a row or rows of needles is or are provided upon the combing cylinder in addition to the usual combing needles, the needles of the row or rows aforesaid being at such anangle that on engaging the tuft they draw it downwardly towards the periphery of the cylinder, and into the plane of the roots of the combing needles, to a greater extent than it would be drawn by the combing needles proper. V

The invention will now be fully described for a full understanding of the same with reference to the drawing annexed. In the drawing Figure 1 illustrates in side view partly in section a sufficient portion of a usual combing cylinder to render clear the explanation of the invention; and Figure 2 shows fragmentarily a modified arrangement.

- Referring to Figure 1, the combing cylinder is as usual, that is to say there is a barrel 3, a halflap comprising a combstock 4 and rows of needles fixed on matrices 5-shown in section-which are mounted upon the combstock. a to n inclusive indicate rows of combing needles. As known, the needles become of gradually finer pitch from the front row, a, to the rear row, 11..

Between the two needles row series a-g and n-n is fitted a matrix 6 on which is mounted a.

row of needles x. As will be seen, the needles of this row present a lesser angle to the periphery of the cylinder than do the combing needles proper. A space 7 is left between the matrix 6 and the matrix 5 of the preceding row of combing needles 9.

In operation, the combing cylinder rotating in the direction of the arrow and the fibre tuftnot shown-being presented to the first row of needles a by the usual machine nipper, combing commences, the rows of needles a to g passing presence of the space 7 facilitates downward movement of the tuft.

In combing machines of the type being dealt with, the angle of the combing needles is of importance in relation to the nature of the fibers being combed. The pitch of the needles of the row a: may be twice that of the needles of the needle row a, thus more easily engaging the tuft to draw the latter towards the needle roots.

In Figure 2 there are two rows of needlesx, 113 and two corresponding spaces '7 and 7a. The

combing needles a, b, having passed through the tuft the latter is engaged by the needle row .70 then the combing needles 1 and '9 pass through the tuft; and the needle row as then engages the latter, the downward pull being thus given to the tuft in two stages.

Other arrangements may be adopted. For example the needle rows a: as? may be together, and they may, either together or separate, be interposed between the rows of combing needles at any practical point or points. Preferably however the first and coarser combing needles (I. are allowed to pass through the tuft to take out some waste and parallelize' the fibres to some degree before the special tuft-controlling needles come into action. 7

It will be understood that the angle of the needles m, or 1: may be any which will give the best result for the purpose of the invention.

I claim:-

- 1. In a combing machine for textile fibres, a, rotatable combing cylinder, rows of combing needles fixed upon the cylinder, and at the same angle thereto, but progressively decreasing in needle pitch and a further row of fixed needles interposed between the rows of combing needles, the needles of such further row being at a lesser angle to the cylinder periphery than that of combing needles which precede and follow them as the cylinder rotates, and being of a coarser needle pitch than any of the combing needle rows for the purpose set forth.

2. In a combing machine for textile fibres, a rotatable combing cylinder, rows of combing needles fixed upon the cylinder, a further row of fixed needles interposed between the rows of combing needles, the needles of such further row being at a lesser angle to the cylinder periphery than that of combing needles which precede and follow them as the cylinder rotates, and a gap in the cylinder surface between the further row of needles and the row of combing needles preceding it, for the purpose set forth.

3. In a combing machine for textile fibres, a rotatable combing cylinder, rows of combing needles fixed upon the cylinder, the needles being all at the same angle to the cylinder periphery, but progressively decreasing in needle pitch and a further row of needles fixed upon such cylinder and at a lesser angle to the periphery thereof than that of the combing needles which follows such further row as the cylinder rotates, the needles of such further row being of substantially twice the pitch of those of the first combing needle row forthe purpose set forth.

JOHN WILLIAM NASMITI-I. 

